Milford teens fundraise for school in Tanzania

TWO Milford teens have raised more than £1,000 to buy resources for a remote school they visited during a volunteering trip to Tanzania.

Having missed out on a cancelled Priestlands School trip in 2021 due to Covid restrictions, 18-year-old Maisie Chamberlain-Hyde and Olivia Impett, both from Milford, made it their mission to re-instate their volunteering efforts and organise their own independent trip to Arusha in Tanzania.

Determined not to let their disappointment from two years ago get the better of them, the friends organised their own voluntary placement programme in their gap year and have spent a month at Tristan Primary School in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro.

With only two teachers across the two classes of 65 children, Maisie and Livvy’s time and energy was very well received. However, soon after arriving the teens became aware of the school’s very limited resources and the impact this lack of equipment was having on the children, whose ages range between two and six years old.

Maisie said: “We saw straight away that the school only had a handful of pens, one whiteboard marker and barely any paper.”

Livy added: “Many of the children didn’t have school uniform or even a basic textbook to write in so we immediately actioned a fundraising plan to see if we could help the school further.”

Creating a fundraising page through GoFundMe and launching their appeal to family and friends on Instagram, Maisie and Livvy were thrilled with the immediate positive response and raised more than £1,000 in just three days; more than double the target they had set themselves and in a fraction of the time.

This speed and generosity meant that the girls could see for themselves the benefit of their fundraising efforts at a grass roots level.

Plentiful stationary, pens, paints and textbooks were purchased locally by Maisie and Livvy, as well as basic equipment such as clocks, dustbins and desks to help assist the day to day functioning of the school.

The children love to sing and dance, so a durable speaker and musical instruments have also been provided to enrich their school day. Additionally, the girls commissioned a local carpenter to make a see-saw for the outside play area, and a local tailor to measure and make uniforms.

Maisie said “We are so grateful for the generosity and rapid response to our fundraising campaign. It has been a joy to watch the children benefit directly from the resources we have now been able to buy.

“The children at Tristan School have taught us so much; they are the happiest and most contented children we have ever met; expressive and welcoming on every level. We have been so privileged to be able to spend time with them and aid their school in enhancing the support and education of these very special children.”

Further donations to help buy additional resources for Tristan Primary School can be made by visiting www.gofundme.com/f/buying-school-supplies-for-tanzanian-children